Tuesday, 14 April 1953
The House—after the Adjournment on 2nd April, 1953, for the Easter Recess—met at Half-past Two o'Clock.
[Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair]
Read the Third time, and passed, without Amendment.
To be read a Second time Tomorrow.
Read a Second time, and committed.
Second Reading deferred till Tomorrow.
Before Prayers the customary blue financial paper was not available in the Vote Office. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if notice could be taken of this fact so that it is available for Members before the...
asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that every year about 1,500 are killed and there are seldom less than 60,000 people away at any one time through industrial accidents, he...
asked the Minister of Labour to make a comprehensive statement on the principles on which he acts in considering applications for deferment and extending deferment of agricultural scientists,...
asked the Minister of Labour if he will appoint an agricultural labour supplies officer in the Northern Region such as is employed in other regions, in order to facilitate the prompt engagement...
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make an early statement regarding the recent increases in charges at Brockworth Hostel, Gloucester, of 7s. per week, as from 13th April, 1953, and...
asked the Minister of Labour the number of men on the unemployed register of the Brixton and Tooting employment exchanges; how many of these are over 45 years of age; and what is the average...
asked the Minister of Labour how many persons employed in the pilchard canning factories of Cornwall and Plymouth are unemployed; and what are their prospects of early re-employment.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to secure an addition to the afforestation programme of planting to compensate for the losses in growing timber caused by recent...
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many timber houses were allocated to local authorities during 1952; and how many of these houses were completed by 31st December, 1952.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to allow of empty buildings being exempted from rates without the roofs being removed.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take steps to ensure that all local authorities confine their housing schemes to houses of not less than three storeys, to minimise the...
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what he attributes the decline in the agricultural labour force in Scotland from 108,000 in June, 1948, to 99,000 in December, 1950, as disclosed by...
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why, when the number of persons employed in the local government service in Scotland has declined from 68,000 in June, 1951, to 67,000 in June, 1952, the...
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish tubercular patients are receiving treatment outwith Scotland; where the sanatoria concerned are situated; what is the cost, per...
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients over 60 years of age were admitted to mental institutions in Scotland as lunatics during 1950, 1951 and 1952.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the rate for neo-natal mortality in Social Classes I to V during 1950, 1951 and 1952.
asked the Minister of Pensions the number of 1914–18 war disabled pensioners now in receipt of alternative pensions.
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will issue instructions to commanding officers of units serving overseas to warn all ranks under their command that certain articles are liable to...
Brigadier Clarke: asked the Secretary of State for War why married officers and other ranks serving in Korea are not entitled to separation allowance at the recently announced rates.
asked the Secretary of State for War the price at which Libby's tinned milk is sold in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes' stores in the Ruhr.
asked the Secretary of State for War to give details of the financial arrangements under which soldiers of the Argyll Regiment were used in the film production of "Rob Roy" by Mr. Walt Disney;...
asked the Secretary of State for War to make a statement of his expenditure of £670,000 on carpets, stating, in particular, how much expenditure was incurred in Scotland and for what purposes.
asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to reopen the closed South African and Australian markets to Cornish canned pilchards.
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the progress of the talks between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Brazil on the question of Brazil's...
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to require Members of this House, who, in any period, receive both sickness benefit and Parliamentary salary, to surrender...
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that British citizens have transferred sterling for the financial assistance of Walter Naumann and other German Nazis; and if he will refuse...
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of free gifts from the Dominions and Colonies to this country, both during and since the late war, respectively; and the amount of...
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if, in view of the public feeling over a large area in Kent consequent upon the heavy covering of cement and other forms of dust, he will...
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will circularise all local authorities who are housing authorities, with a view to obtaining information as to the number of authorities...
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how soon he anticipates being able to make a statement of Government policy in relation to the amendment of the Rent Restrictions Acts.
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how soon he anticipates being able to make a statement of Government policy regarding the lifting, modifying or re-imposing of the restrictions...
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence if, in view of the fact that the expenditure on defence greatly exceeds expenditure on the Health Services and that an independent...
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the letter from the Secretary of the Institute of Civil Defence drawing his attention to the terms of two...
(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Transport if he has any statement to make in connection with the railway accident that occurred on Wednesday, 8th April, at the Stratford Central Line...
I am anxious to know what my attitude ought to be today, Mr. Speaker, and I ask your guidance. Before the Recess I asked an important question regarding the release of a soldier who would be...
Roy Mason, esquire, for Barnsley.
Considered in Committee.
3.36 p.m.
Let me first take the main achievement. The last Budget was designed primarily to rectify the adverse balance of payments. The measure of our success can be judged by the figures, which speak for...
Since overseas demand for consumer goods showed signs of declining, I came to the conclusion that unduly to depress the level of consumer demand at home would be unnecessary and harmful. There...
I now come to another movement—if I may use a musical simile—of my speech, and this is not, perhaps, quite so gay. The disinflationary developments, however, had less comfortable...
With lower levels of production and imports, total revenue amounted to £4,439 million, or £222 million less than the Budget estimate. Inland Revenue duties produced £2,451 million...
Now let us look at expenditure. The Committee will recall that having, in the first place, estimated total expenditure at £4,231 million, I then made proposals for the reduction of food...
So, taking both revenue and expenditure together, we have on the conventional basis an above-the-line surplus for the year of £88 million, compared with a surplus which I estimated in the...
These transactions were in part reflected in the financial structure of the banking system. There was an increase in the holdings by the banks of Floating Debt and securities. This more than...
Total expenditure above-the-line in 1953–54 I estimated at £4,259 million, an increase of £108 million over last year's estimate. The first element in this, an increase of...
In the field of food and agriculture this policy brings with it the twin benefits of relief for the Exchequer and increasing freedom—freedom not only for fanners and traders, but also for...
I now return to the Budgetary prospects for this year. We have, as I said, a total expenditure of £4,259 million, against this I estimate that total revenue on the existing basis of taxation...
Taking revenue and expenditure together, we arrive at an estimated above-the-line surplus of £278 million on the conventional basis, which is an increase of £190 million over the...
We have looked at forward expenditure and the budgetary position. Now, if we are to get a clear idea of the line to be taken in the coming year, we must broaden our view to take in the prospects...
Let us look first at the likely trends of home demand. These are discussed in the Economic Survey—which was deliberately published before the Budget—and I shall therefore deal with...
Now I turn to exports. Here, it will be said, we face a buyers' market and other difficulties overseas. To that the answer is that in a competitive world Britain must be competitive; we must keep...
With this in mind we can continue our analysis of our economic prospects in the year ahead. Looking at the claims on our resources of the balance of payments, and bringing in the claims of the...
I have in mind now the method first introduced in 1945 by a distinguished predecessor, who was then Sir John Anderson. I propose to reinstate the system of initial allowances for capital...
The question we now have to consider is: can we, and should we, stop at this? Will this change alone give our industries sufficient stimulus to get production rising, and rising fast enough to...
So I turn first to Purchase Tax. With the return of more normal conditions the burden of Purchase Tax at very high rates now presses almost unbearably on trade and on the community as a whole. I...
Now for Entertainments Duty. I am satisfied that last year's new arrangements are on the right lines and should be continued, but I have some proposals in fulfilment of the undertakings I then...
Leaving the playing field and the amateur stage, I must take the Committee through a short series of improvements in our taxation system for which I am providing in the Finance Bill. Details will...
I revert to this year's main theme—the need to give a real boost to production. Let us launch a drive to show the world that our highly concentrated industry and our developing agriculture...
With initial allowances restored and a term set to E.P.L., British producers will have a chance to plan ahead. But my diagnosis shows that long-term prospects are not enough—an immediate...
I can now sum up my proposals in this incentive Budget. It has been designed to give to our production the extra help which our financial resources permit. This help takes four main...
1. Hops, etc. and beer (Customs)
6. Purchase tax (general reduction of rates of tax)
8. Income tax (charge and rates for 1953–54)
23. Profits tax (miscellaneous charges)
24. Excess profits levy (miscellaneous charges)
Amendment of Law
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Mr. Kaberry.]
Debates in the House of Commons are an opportunity for MPs from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.
And sometimes to shout at each other.
